Before the Renaissance, the mentality was to earn eternal life to get back to Heaven. During the Italian Renaissance, the upperclassmen lived by the motto “carpe diem” meaning seize the day. They believed that there is more to life than earning God’s grace. Their abilities needed to be used to the fullest. Italy became increasingly secular. A major misconception in history is that it is thought to believe that the Italian Renaissance affected everyone. The Italian Renaissance only affected the very wealthy people. Another misconception is that this period of time was not labelled as so during the 1350s. The name was given to this period by Jacob …show more content…
The first figure in the family was Cosimo Dé Medici. Born in 1389 and died in 1464, Cosimo believed that the rich must give back to their communities. With this mentality in mind, he made a huge contribution to the community. Cosimo developed an interest in art and architecture which he believed would enhance his family’s status. As a result, he patronized many artists and sculptors. His grandson, Lorenzo dé Medici, supported a number of artists, including Lippi Filippino, Botticelli Sandro, and